Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans he has to designate Highly Protected Marine Areas in the South West of England.
Defra recently announced that it intends to designate the first three Highly Protected Marine Areas (HPMAs) in English waters. These HPMAs would be designated through the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009 before 6 July 2023. Defra will continue to explore additional candidate sites this year, and any future sites will also be subject to consultation.